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> Parents can then venmo the other family for the time-cost of the play-date. Wait, what? Parents are paying other parents for play dates these days?

StavrosK 9y ago
Oh wow, that sounds insane to me.
jimktrains2 9y ago
I think/hope GP is being sarcastic. I've never seen anyone reimburse anyone for a playdate. I also live in a neighborhood where you see everyone outside regularly so a lot of it is spontaneous. Even with my wife's moms group that has arranged playdates, though, no one pays anyone else.
- Moru 9y ago
  That's just another way of paying. Next week it's your turn to host the playdate.
  - jimktrains2 9y ago
    That's significantly different than paying someone in cash. (Also, I didn't say they rotate, they do, but it's not among everyone. Some people have larger houses and are happier to host so they do it more often.)
lgessler 9y ago
It was satire--the point is that that is a certain style of parenting taken to its conclusion.
- deleted 9y ago
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- deleted 9y ago
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- sjg007 9y ago
  Well if you take your kid to kidcreate or something like that then you do pay for the play date!
deleted 9y ago
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bmpafa 9y ago
Well, yeah. Not for the profit of other parents, mind you--that'd be gauche. the money's just to cover the fees of whatever venue the play date's to be held at. That is, unless you're arranging play dates at free / public venues... like some kind of common poor.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  What happened to a kid just going to a friend's house and playing with them there? Maybe I'm old now, but the whole concept of "play dates" rubs me the wrong way...
  - optimuspaul 9y ago
    Where I live playdates happen at homes and if you are taking the kids out somewhere generally the parent taking them out pays.
alphakappa 9y ago
I don't know if reimbursement happens, but kids will bring home a note with the contact details of their playmate, and their parents will schedule it. The whole calendar scheduling, driving, chaperoning etc are things that definitely happens. It's not the age of 'go play with the kids down the street', at least in the urban California I'm familiar with.
- whatshisface 9y ago
  Just another datapoint, I've never seen anyone do that (I don't live in urban CA). I think you've just experienced how insular communities can descend into (I'm not trying to offensive in saying this) self-parody at blinding speeds, if they're cut off from outside mixing for too long.
  - dfabulich 9y ago
    Do what? Drive a kid to a friend's house?
    - Sacho 9y ago
      I think they were referencing the "go play with the kids down the street" part.
      - uxp100 9y ago
        I'm quite sure they were saying they've never seen this happen: "but kids will bring home a note with the contact details of their playmate, and their parents will schedule it. The whole calendar scheduling, driving, chaperoning etc are things that definitely happens."
- dingaling 9y ago
  What's also sad is that after schools most kids are bundled into a car and driven off to their next appointment. There is little opportunity for spontaneity in life for Car Kids. Like play-dates, everything is rostered. There are a few who walk home from my son's school and it's great to see them take 30 minutes to play or even just sit together throwing cut-grass in the air.
crdb 9y ago
Anecdotally, I know of a Singaporean whose brother charged for taking the daughter with his kids on holiday. He didn't outright make it a billable item but made it a markup on flights and hotels. Both are HNWIs for whom the amount is as trivial as a dollar menu item at McDonald's.
paulddraper 9y ago
Maybe not "play dates" but certainly for "babysitting".
tfigment 9y ago
Many years ago, my friend's mother tried to bill my mother for some perceived amount of food that I was apparently consuming from their house. Which I largely wasn't and was also after the fact so if I knew there would be a bill I would would have turned down the offer of some spaghetti. That put a nail in the coffin of their friendship.
- fb03 9y ago
  Dude that borders fantasy to me, wow.... Didn't this friend also come by your house to play or stay overnight and ofc, after so many hours playing, wouldn't your mom make yourselves a nice snack for you to charge up and stuff? How come your friend's mom do something as autistic as that? imho, his mom didn't like you (or was just jealous you were hanging out too much? narcissistic parents and stuff) and just wanted to kill the friendship.... srsly dude, the more you live the more you get spooked by people, thank you for refreshing my view of humanity.
exolymph 9y ago
It's a joke / hyperbole for effect :)
- Ygg2 9y ago
  Give it like a year. Then it will be a sad reality.

StavrosK 9y ago

Oh wow, that sounds insane to me.

jimktrains2 9y ago

I think/hope GP is being sarcastic. I've never seen anyone reimburse anyone for a playdate. I also live in a neighborhood where you see everyone outside regularly so a lot of it is spontaneous. Even with my wife's moms group that has arranged playdates, though, no one pays anyone else.

Moru 9y ago
That's just another way of paying. Next week it's your turn to host the playdate.
- jimktrains2 9y ago
  That's significantly different than paying someone in cash. (Also, I didn't say they rotate, they do, but it's not among everyone. Some people have larger houses and are happier to host so they do it more often.)

lgessler 9y ago

It was satire--the point is that that is a certain style of parenting taken to its conclusion.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
sjg007 9y ago
Well if you take your kid to kidcreate or something like that then you do pay for the play date!

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

bmpafa 9y ago

Well, yeah. Not for the profit of other parents, mind you--that'd be gauche. the money's just to cover the fees of whatever venue the play date's to be held at. That is, unless you're arranging play dates at free / public venues... like some kind of common poor.

TeMPOraL 9y ago
What happened to a kid just going to a friend's house and playing with them there? Maybe I'm old now, but the whole concept of "play dates" rubs me the wrong way...
- optimuspaul 9y ago
  Where I live playdates happen at homes and if you are taking the kids out somewhere generally the parent taking them out pays.

alphakappa 9y ago

I don't know if reimbursement happens, but kids will bring home a note with the contact details of their playmate, and their parents will schedule it. The whole calendar scheduling, driving, chaperoning etc are things that definitely happens. It's not the age of 'go play with the kids down the street', at least in the urban California I'm familiar with.

whatshisface 9y ago
Just another datapoint, I've never seen anyone do that (I don't live in urban CA). I think you've just experienced how insular communities can descend into (I'm not trying to offensive in saying this) self-parody at blinding speeds, if they're cut off from outside mixing for too long.
- dfabulich 9y ago
  Do what? Drive a kid to a friend's house?
  - Sacho 9y ago
    I think they were referencing the "go play with the kids down the street" part.
    - uxp100 9y ago
      I'm quite sure they were saying they've never seen this happen: "but kids will bring home a note with the contact details of their playmate, and their parents will schedule it. The whole calendar scheduling, driving, chaperoning etc are things that definitely happens."
dingaling 9y ago
What's also sad is that after schools most kids are bundled into a car and driven off to their next appointment. There is little opportunity for spontaneity in life for Car Kids. Like play-dates, everything is rostered. There are a few who walk home from my son's school and it's great to see them take 30 minutes to play or even just sit together throwing cut-grass in the air.

crdb 9y ago

Anecdotally, I know of a Singaporean whose brother charged for taking the daughter with his kids on holiday. He didn't outright make it a billable item but made it a markup on flights and hotels. Both are HNWIs for whom the amount is as trivial as a dollar menu item at McDonald's.

paulddraper 9y ago

Maybe not "play dates" but certainly for "babysitting".

tfigment 9y ago

Many years ago, my friend's mother tried to bill my mother for some perceived amount of food that I was apparently consuming from their house. Which I largely wasn't and was also after the fact so if I knew there would be a bill I would would have turned down the offer of some spaghetti. That put a nail in the coffin of their friendship.

fb03 9y ago
Dude that borders fantasy to me, wow.... Didn't this friend also come by your house to play or stay overnight and ofc, after so many hours playing, wouldn't your mom make yourselves a nice snack for you to charge up and stuff? How come your friend's mom do something as autistic as that? imho, his mom didn't like you (or was just jealous you were hanging out too much? narcissistic parents and stuff) and just wanted to kill the friendship.... srsly dude, the more you live the more you get spooked by people, thank you for refreshing my view of humanity.

exolymph 9y ago

It's a joke / hyperbole for effect :)

Ygg2 9y ago
Give it like a year. Then it will be a sad reality.